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i next wake up in a hospital bed. an awfully chemically enhanced scent fills my airways, causing me to be a bit startled when i wake up.
i nuzzle my nose into a warm material just beside me. it smells of district four. warm, with a pinch of salt from days at the sea.
my nose doesn't ache any more. i open my eyes to realise i've been sniffing up against finnick's jumper. the one he gave to me that night on the roof before the games. i wonder who brought it here.
a warm compress encases my hand. i let my eyes drift to whoever is holding it.
it's hard to tell, but i think it's finnick. whether that's my blurry vision from just waking up, or he legitimately looks like a different person, i'm unable to tell just yet. until my vision becomes clear, and the latter proves true.
his dishevelled hair, his somber eyes, his bronze hair not carrying the usual glow it does. only the tiniest portion of things that are totally off about him.
"finnick." i mumble softly.
i watch as his lips form a slight smile and his hand becomes restive. i try to sit up in bed, expecting a huge bruise to thump my side in pain. yet there's no tension anywhere, allowing me to sit upright with liberty.
finnick rubs one of his eyes with his other hand. he looks all grubby and. . . gross. i wonder if he's slept much. presumably not. i've never seen him in such a bedraggled state.
even aria couldn't keep him tidy. he's totally unkempt. i cant pull my eyes away from his inconsistencies, only because they are usually just so rare.
"have you slept?" i ask, my voice strained. he shakes his head.
"not much." he says. "i was too nervous."
"i was the same for your games." i nod, smiling, as i turn my hand over to fit mine into his. i think this provides some comfort, as his eyes swell with warmth and some of his wrinkles are restored. "i'm here now."
he hums. "i know. it doesn't feel real."
"it doesn't, does it."
"how do you feel in general?" he asks.
"i don't know. i only just woke up. i want to forget." i say.
he nods, though it doesn't seem honest. "we can forget it all. that's okay."
"that was convincing." i chuckle. he joins me.
"it's just hard. but it's alright, because you have a lot of us that will help." he says.
i nod. this is more honest. this is what i was hoping for. "i'd like that. thank you, finnick."
"what for?"
"being here."
"oh." he says surprisedly, pausing. "then, you're welcome."
a large shriek is heard. then clicking against the floor. one can only assume who is to follow.
